


I won't be leaving until I finish stealing every piece of your heart

by spanktomlinson



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bank Teller Harry, Bank robber Louis, Bottom Harry, Criminal Louis, Feminization, Fluff, Harry literally still calls his mom and visits her lol, I guess theyre in america?, I promise it's good, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Louis is just like "come with us", Love at First Sight, M/M, Protective Louis, Rich Louis, SO, Slow Burn, Smut, Sort Of, Stockholm Syndrome, Sugar Baby Harry, Top Louis, a lot of fate talk, a lot of pining, all of the boys are 23, all of the boys are bank robbers, and Harry wears makeup, and he does lol, and nail polish, because I love when he's himself, because I use the phrase 'state lines' a lot lol, but all I know how to write is, but also like, but nothing dark, but they don't hurt anyone, don't let it scare you, eventually, except Harry is 20, except for Harry, harry is american, i guess?, i s2g it's good, idk im confused, it's a kink of mine tbh, just read it, like Louis uses A LOT of pet names, not yet, oh yeah, only because Louis robs banks lol, read it, that should be a real tag, the rest of them arent, the title is from stand up by one direction, which is literally perfect for this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-04-24 03:20:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14346909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spanktomlinson/pseuds/spanktomlinson
Summary: “What’s your name, Love?” He asked him, curious to know more about the boy, even while Zayn was staring daggers at him.“M-my what?” The boy looked incredulous and terrified at the thought of Louis knowing his name.“Leave the poor kid alone and come help me grab the money.” Zayn snapped at him.“Piss off, mate.” Louis snapped back. He turned back to the boy. “I said I’d love to know your name, Love, if you’ll tell me. Unless you’d prefer I just keep calling you Love?”The boy gave a small smile at Louis’s teasing. “My name is Harry.”or the one where Louis, Zayn, Niall, and Liam rob a bank where Harry is a bank teller. Louis falls in love at first sight, Zayn tries to shoot Harry, and things get a little crazy.





	1. it's a stand up

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [I won't be leaving until I finish stealing every piece of your heart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15011414) by [CrazyMofos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazyMofos/pseuds/CrazyMofos)



> hiiii! so sorry if the beginning seems a little long, like the part before louis meets harry. I just wanted to give you a little backstory to why the boys rob banks. there will be more insight into that later too! there's also gonna be quite a bit of ziam, but this is definitely primarily a louis/harry fic. thanks for reading! xx

Louis didn’t do it for the money. Of course it felt nice to be able to help his sisters out and he did enjoy the luxurious lifestyle that came with it, but he had enough money stored in various offshore bank accounts for him to retire now and still be able to pay college tuition for his great-great-great-grandchildren. The money didn’t matter as much to him as it did to Niall or Liam, who owed a lot of money to some crazy people. Niall and Liam were in it for the cash; they couldn’t stop making bets and they were addicted to being rich. Zayn did it out of loyalty. The only people he had in life were Louis, Liam, and Niall, and he would do anything for them. He stayed with them out of gratitude and love for the dysfunctional little family that they’d become. Louis knew they all had their reasons, each one of them relying on this to fulfill some sort of hole in their lives, but he also knew he was the one who needed it the most. Louis did it for the rush.

It wasn’t just a feeling he craved, it was one that he _needed_. Even now, knowing that they only had about a minute and a half until the cops showed up, knowing that Liam was idling the getaway car right around the corner, waiting for them to jump in and yell “GO” so he could floor the gas pedal and get them out of town quickly, Louis let out a whooping laugh, reveling in the feeling of his feet hitting the pavement, of the sound of Niall’s labored breathing beside him. Zayn shot him a disapproving look; he’s always telling him to take it more seriously, talk less so no one will recognize his voice, stop hitting on the hostages. “We’re robbing banks, Louis. Not going for a harmless joyride or a night out at the pub. Take it a little more seriously.” But Louis didn’t care; this was why he did it: the feeling of uncertainty, never knowing if this was going to be his last day as a free man before they caught him and locked him up for good. Then the feeling of invincibility, flying down the highway with his three best friends in the car, counting money and talking about settling down and retiring one day in Boca Raton. He never wanted to retire though, doesn’t want to think about the day when his friends get sick of the criminal lifestyle and call it quits. He wants this feeling, of being young and powerful and dangerous, to last forever.  It’s doing this that makes him feel most alive.

It’s right as he thinks this thought that he hears sirens blare down the street, speeding past him as the three of them dip into the alley where Liam is parked. Louis is breathless and can’t help the chuckle that spills out when he sees the blinding smile Niall shoots him. When they slide into the car, Liam takes off and they’re gone before the police have even finished casing the first block. A lot of people think you should park a getaway car right in front of the bank you plan to rob; Louis likes to refer to those people as idiots. People take notice of an idling vehicle outside of a bank, and the police will be able to get a clear description in no time. With Liam waiting down the street, and their masks off and their clothes changed, they might as well have been any other group of 23-year-old guys out for a drive with their friends. The cops had nothing to go off of.

It isn’t until they pass the state lines with no sign of being followed that Zayn lets out a sigh of relief, clapping Louis on the back and smiling at him fondly. Despite the lectures about “being more serious”, Louis knows that Zayn loves this just as much as he does. If not for the rush, then at least for the brotherhood. When Liam catches his eye in the rearview mirror and winks, Louis has to agree with Zayn, that the four of them make a pretty good team. They were a tight-knit group who didn’t need anyone but each other, and he couldn’t imagine it any other way.

 

***

 

“So when do you lads wanna go again?” Louis waggles his eyebrows, heart already racing at the thought of getting into another bank.

“Lou, we just went. We need to take a breather or they’re gonna start to catch on.” Niall doesn’t even look up from his computer where Louis is pretty sure he’s playing a very illegal, very high stakes card game.

“C’mon Nialler, you don’t seriously believe that. The pigs have never even gotten close to touching us. Besides, if you keep playing like that, you’re gonna need the money faster than you can say ‘gambling addiction’.” Louis teases without even glancing at the screen.

“Fuck off.” Niall says at the same time that Liam yells, “Louis, I told you to stop calling them pigs!”

“Sorry, Li. I keep forgetting the fondness you have for them.”

“They’re just doing their jobs, Lou.”

“I know.” Louis walks over and plops himself onto Liam’s lap, ignoring the glare he earns from Zayn, and ruffles Liam’s hair fondly, “and we’re just doing ours. So when do you wanna go again? Because I have a good feeling about this next one.”

 

***

 

“Okay, so this is a smaller bank. There’s only two tellers, and they probably won’t have that much in cash.” Liam briefs them on their way out to the car. “We wouldn’t even be going if it weren’t for _someone_ getting a little too restless.” Liam shoots him a glare and Louis smiles sickly sweet back at him.

“Awe, I love you too, Li.” He squeezes Liam’s bicep before he ducks into the car and shoots Zayn a cocky smile when he sees him stare at their point of contact for a little too long. Good, he thinks, maybe if he gets jealous enough, he’ll actually man up and tell Liam how he feels. But of course he just slips into the passenger seat next to Liam, avoiding eye contact with Louis and hanging on every word out of Liam’s mouth. Louis can’t help but let his smirk melt into something more sincere; he knows Zayn has loved Liam since they met when they were fourteen, and he also knows Liam is desperately in love with him too. It amuses him to see the games they play with each other, the subtle flirting, and not-so-subtle staring. A pang of loneliness flits through him, but it’s gone before he can focus too much on it, so he tunes back into whatever Liam is droning on about.

“So keep your voices low because I’m not sure if their cameras pick up audio and- “

“We know, Liam. You tell us the same thing every time.”

“Let him finish, Louis.” Zayn snaps. “He’s the backbone of the group, and without him we would have been caught a while ago.”

Liam’s cheeks turn red at the strange compliment, and Louis just rolls his eyes, tunes out of the briefing, and prepares himself to do what he does best: get away with things that he probably shouldn’t.

 

***

 

                The only people in the bank when they got there were the two bank tellers that Liam had warned them about and an elderly couple. Niall walked up to the elderly couple with a gentle smile on his face and asked them nicely to sit on the floor against the wall.

“My mates are about’ta rob this place, but we don’t wanna hurt ya.” And it was true, their intention was never to harm anyone, and if anyone ever tried to play the hero, they would just leave, cutting their losses but never injuring anyone. Thankfully, most people didn’t stand up to people with guns. Zayn’s gun was the only one loaded anyways; partly because he was the only one who really knew how to use a gun, and also partly because he was the only one who had actually ever had the courage to shoot anyone. Anyways, people didn’t have to know that Louis and Niall were actually very much unarmed.

The couple looked scared, but sat down quietly, and Niall stood above them, watching as Zayn calmly asked one of the bank tellers to unload her register before leading her over to the elderly couple and sitting her next to them. Louis looked over to the second bank teller, who was reaching under the counter, searching for the emergency call button that Louis knew was hidden under there.

“Now, you don’t wanna do that, Love.” Louis tsked at the boy. When the curly-headed bank teller looked up, Louis was met with the most intoxicating (albeit watery) green eyes he’d ever seen. Wow, he thought, this guy was gorgeous. His jaw line looked like it could cut glass, his nose was strong and straight, and his pouty lips were begging Louis to kiss him. Louis did a full head-to-toe checkout of the boy; the redness of his cheeks, the broadness of his shoulders, his endearingly curly hair. He was pretty sure the boy was wearing a little bit of mascara and lip gloss too, and that was definitely the prettiest shade of pink painted on his nails. Louis was pretty sure he just learned what people meant when they said ‘love at first sight’.

“P-p-please don’t hurt me.” The boy whimpered. He had a deliciously deep voice with just a slight panicked edge, and Louis felt himself falling even more.

“I’m not gonna hurt ya, Love. I figure that would be a hate crime to all of angel kind.” Louis watched confusion settle on the boy’s face.

“Angel kind?” He furrowed his eyebrows and took his lower lip into his mouth; his unshed tears were causing his mascara to transfer to the bottom of his eyes. Louis wanted to kiss him more than he’d ever wanted to do anything before.

“Yeah. You are an angel, aren’t ya? That would explain the innocent green eyes and halo of curls.” The boy still looked confused, but his eyes were drying up and Louis could swear he saw an amused twinkle. “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you give me and my friend a tour of your safe, and we’ll get to spend more time together.”

The boy’s face lost any flicker of amusement at Louis’s antics. “They don’t tell us how to get into the safe. I’m s-s-sorry.”

“Now, you wouldn’t lie to me, would you, Sunshine?” Louis leaned in until he could feel the boy’s heavy breathing on his face. “Because I have a feeling that you do know how to get into the safe and you’re just holding back from me.” Louis pouted, knowing full well that the boy couldn’t see him under the mask on his face. He casually swung the gun around his finger. Even though Louis knew it was completely empty, the boy didn’t, and he started crying again.

“Ok-k-kay, I’ll take you to the safe. Just please don’t hurt me.”

“Shhh, I already told you I wasn’t gonna hurt you, Angel. Just bring us to the safe.” The boy gave a shaky nod and Louis motioned for Zayn to follow as he led them toward the back of the bank. When they came to a large steel door, he put in the passcode and swung the door open.

Liam was wrong; there was definitely a lot of cash, despite the bank being small. Zayn started to fill bags with the money, while Louis turned back to the bank teller.

“What’s your name, Love?” He asked him, curious to know more about the boy, even while Zayn was staring daggers at him.

“M-my what?” The boy looked incredulous and terrified at the thought of Louis knowing his name.

“Leave the poor kid alone and come help me grab the money.” Zayn snapped at him.

“Piss off, mate.” Louis snapped back. He turned back to the boy. “I said I’d love to know your name, Love, if you’ll tell me. Unless you’d prefer I just keep calling you Love?”

The boy gave a small smile at Louis’s teasing. “My name is Harry.” Louis’s heart soared. Harry, how cute!! Louis was in love. He gave the vault a quick scan for cameras and upon finding none, he lifted off his mask, and looked Harry in the eyes.

Harry looked shocked. Probably in part because Louis had removed his mask in the middle of a bank robbery (he knew it was dangerous, but didn’t he just finish explaining that that was the fun of it all?!), but Louis also knew it was partly because he was fairly attractive. He didn’t like to gloat, but he did seem to get hit on a lot at bars, and he was comfortable with the way he looked. He was definitely not the grimy type of person you would typically expect to be a criminal. Harry must have been shocked to see how young (and clean) he was. Louis was a little shocked at himself as well. He’d never taken his mask off during a robbery, and he’d definitely never introduced himself by name like he was about to.

“Nice to meet you, Harry. My name is Louis, and let me just say, I think you are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life, and I say that while standing in a vault of money.” Louis shot Harry a cheeky wink and watched his face turn crimson at the compliment.

“Thanks. I don’t think I’ve ever been hit on by a bank robber before, and definitely never one as young or attractive as you are.” Harry smirked at him and Louis gaped at his sudden confidence. Eye contact does really make people more comfortable, he supposed.

“Well, I’m glad to be the one to pop your bank robber cherry.” He shot Harry another wink, watching in awe as his face flushed a beautiful pink color. At that moment, Zayn looked up from where he was filling bags with money on the other side of the vault.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?? WHY IS YOUR MASK OFF?” Zayn screeched (yes, Louis would definitely call that a screech).

“Calm down, Z. I’m just introducing myself to Harold over here.”

“Um, it’s just Harry actually.” Harry corrected him. He looked back at him and saw the smile playing on his lips.

“Don’t correct the bank robber, Harold.” He winked, and he thought his chest was going to explode when he was blessed with the greatest laugh he’d ever heard. Harry let out a deep chuckle and Louis went breathless for a moment. He made a game of flirting with hostages sometimes, something that he would laugh about with Niall and get yelled at over by Liam and Zayn, but this was different. Louis had never felt this way about anyone, and definitely not anyone he had just met. Of course he’d been attracted to people before. He pulled at clubs whenever he was in the mood for it, but he’d never gone on dates or cared to know anything about anybody outside of their group of four. There was definitely something special about Harry.

Zayn raised his gun and pointed it at Harry, who instantly went from being flirty and goofy back to sniffling and sobbing.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, ZAYN????” Louis stepped in front of Harry without thinking twice.

“Move out of the way, Louis. I have to shoot him.” Zayn didn’t want to hurt anyone, but he would if it was to help his family. He would do anything for Louis, Niall, or Liam.

“Zayn, I swear to god, if you shoot him, I’m unarming you and shooting you next. What the fuck is wrong with you? He was just getting comfortable with me!!” Zayn rolled his eyes. Even though he knew Louis couldn’t possibly be serious, he was still annoyed that he would even suggest harming Zayn for the sake of a random bank teller.

“He’s not supposed to feel comfortable with you!! We’re robbing the bank, Louis! I know he’s pretty, Lou, but you showed him your face and now he knows both of our names. Move out of the way. He isn’t worth getting caught over.” Louis narrowed his eyes and let out an almost unhuman growl.

“Of course he’s worth it! It was fun while it lasted, but I’m okay with ending this on a high note and letting this be the one where I get put in cuffs.” Louis let out a short laugh and reached his hand behind him to squeeze Harry’s arm to let him know he meant it. He wouldn’t let Zayn hurt him. Zayn’s eyes widened. What had gotten in to Louis? He didn’t even know this kid!

“You know I can’t let you do that, Louis. We’re family and I won’t let you go down because you have a crush on a bank teller.” Harry was clutching onto the back of Louis’s shirt and full on sobbing. It was a weird situation, but Louis couldn’t help but feel his heart flutter at the opportunity to protect and take care of Harry.

“Please d-d-don’t kill me. I won’t tell anyone what you look like or your names. P-p-please.” Harry whined and Louis turned on Zayn, completely pissed at him now.

“Put the gun down now, Zayn. Or I swear to god, I’ll be the one to call the cops and I’ll bring all of us down.” Zayn didn’t understand what the fuck was going on in Louis’s head, but he was acting crazy enough for Zayn to believe his threats, so he lowered the gun but didn’t put it completely down.

“Okay, good.” Louis turned back to Harry. “So young Harold, what do you say to accompanying us on our little getaway drive?”

“WHAT?!” Zayn and Harry both squawked at the same time.

“Well you didn’t seriously believe I wanted to spend the rest of my life in cuffs, did you? So we’re taking him with us.”


	2. so put your hands up

“WE’RE WHAT?”

“We’re taking him with us, Niall.” Louis huffed, out of breath as they turned the corner toward where Liam was waiting for them. He was a little irritated that his friends couldn’t just be happy for him. Sure, it wasn’t a conventional situation, but Louis wasn’t a conventional guy, and Harry seemed to like him well enough despite the weird circumstances. After the initial shock, he had looked at Louis like maybe he trusted him? But that couldn’t be right. Louis wasn’t the kind of guy you trusted. Still, Harry didn’t flinch when Louis grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door with them. Even now, going from being a bank teller to running to a getaway car with a couple of strangers, one of who had a gun pointed at him a minute ago, Harry seemed careless and free. Louis couldn’t quite believe it either, but this was the situation they were in and he’d appreciate it if Niall stopped staring at him like he’d grown a second head.

When Louis slid into the back seat with Harry’s hand in his and yelled “GO”, Liam just stared back.

“What the fuck, Lou?”

“I can explain it on the way, unless you would rather be having this conversation in a jail cell, Lima Bean?” With that, Liam slammed on the gas pedal and they were off. Louis snuck a glance at Harry who was smiling? No, Harry was grinning. His cheeks were stained red and his chest was heaving from their run to the car. He looked happy and breathless and Louis wanted to remember the look of his blown pupils and flushed chest forever, and maybe recreate the look under different circumstances.

Harry caught his eye and beamed, leaning in to him to whisper, “That was incredible.” The pure admiration and excitement in his voice gave Louis the chills. Who was this kid honestly?

“It was. The adrenaline rush is quite something.” Louis let out a breathless chuckle and leaned into Harry a little more.

“Do you believe in fate, Louis?” Harry was licking his lips and looking at Louis like he was an answered prayer. No, Louis did not believe in fate, but he definitely believed in adrenaline highs and anything that led to Harry leaning in closer and looking at him with stars in his eyes. Harry’s eyes dropped to Louis’s mouth for a second before--

“So, ehm, I’m Liam. What’s your name?” Liam piped up, effectively ruining the moment. Louis glared at him for a minute before his features softened at how welcoming Liam was trying to be to Harry. Even driving a getaway car, he managed to be perfectly prim and proper, sounding like a five-year-old trying to make new friends on the playground. He was looking at Harry in the rearview mirror and then back at Louis, like he was trying to do a math problem in his head.

“’m Harry.” Harry smiled back at Liam without a hint of hesitation, finally fully convinced that no one there was planning on hurting him; at least not with Louis there, he thought, eyeing Zayn warily.

“Nice to meet you, Harry. Ehm, if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly went on in there? Not that I’m not happy to meet you, we just don’t usually make new friends on these kinds of trips.”  Louis smirked at how polite Liam was being even though he was clearly concerned.

“Well, Liam,” Zayn sat up from where he was slouching in the passenger seat, pissed off as usual, “I’ll tell you what the fuck happened in there.” Liam flinched at Zayn’s harsh tone, rarely ever even used in Liam’s presence, and definitely never directed at him. “Louis developed a little crush on the fucking bank teller and threatened to shoot me over him.”

“Come off it, mate, you know goddamn well that’s not what happened. I gave Harold a pick-up line or two and Zayn threatened to blow his head off. He’s jealous, I think.” Louis shot Zayn a glare while Harry’s eyes widened, and Liam almost veered off the road, letting out a cough that made it sound like he was choking.

“Is that really why, Z?” Liam’s attempt to sound casual broke Louis’s heart. Of course Louis knew that Zayn wasn’t actually jealous, he just didn’t get why Zayn had to act like a dick about everything. He didn’t want to hurt Liam though, so he sends an apology to whatever God is out there for making Liam’s puppy dog eyes look so sad.

“Of fucking course not!” Zayn snapped at Liam, who couldn’t have look more hurt or shocked if he tried. “Louis took his fucking mask off. I refuse to let any of us go to prison for the rest of our lives just because Louis can’t control himself.”

“It doesn’t really matter anyway, Zayn, because he’s with us for the ride now.” Louis chances a glance at Harry, who is staring at Zayn like he’s the boogie monster and clutching Louis’s arm so tightly it’s beginning to lose circulation.

“Yeah, until we stop for gas and he jumps out and runs to the nearest police station to turn us in.” Zayn shoots Louis a glare in the rearview mirror, eyes sliding from him to Harry like he’s trying to get rid of the boy with just a look.

“I wouldn’t do that.” Harry basically whispers. Zayn lets out a humorless and mocking laugh.

“Oh, really? Because you have such loyalty to us all of a sudden? Because your Stockholm Syndrome kicked in that fast?” Louis feels guilt well up inside of him. He wasn’t kidnapping Harry, was he? He wasn’t tied up or gagged (that was an image Louis would have to revisit later), and he could leave whenever he wanted to. God, Louis hoped that he didn’t want to leave. At this point, he probably would go to the police, and not only did Louis not want to spend any time in prison, but he also really wanted to get to know Harry and maybe kiss him a bit.

“N-no, that’s not it. I just—this is really fun. And I don’t live a very fun life and I don’t have many friends, and you guys are funny and a little wild, and I like that.” Harry makes eye contact with Louis and smiles, making Louis’s throat close.

“Stick with us, Love, and your life will never be boring.” Louis shot Harry a quick wink before turning back to catch Liam’s concerned look and Zayn’s hateful glare in the mirror.

“And wait until you get to see the hotel rooms we stay in! They’re sick!” Niall beamed at Harry. Thank the universe for Niall honestly.

***

The rest of the car ride consists of Niall and Harry becoming fast friends, bonding over their similar sense of humor and shared love for bad late-night talk shows. Zayn was staring out the window and refusing to play nice, while Liam was still silently pouting at Zayn for yelling at him. Louis stays quiet and just listens, preferring to focus on the slow drawl of Harry’s voice, filling up the car around him. If he could, Louis would make a blanket out of Harry’s voice. He would let it fill up all of his empty silences and it would make him feel cuddled and safe, but Louis is really trying not to be creepy, so he keeps that thought to himself. He sticks to just focusing on how Harry’s eyes light up when he talks about the things he likes and the way he fiddles with the rings on his fingers when he speaks.

“Well I was watching Jimmy Kimmel and he said—" Harry looks from Niall to Louis, like he could feel Louis staring at him. Even when Louis knows he’s caught and he probably looks like a creep, he can’t look away. Harry’s words die in his throat and he moves to wipe at his face, as if Louis was staring for any other reason than that he’s gorgeous.

“What?” Harry blinks at Louis owlishly, probably waiting for him to explain his excessive staring. Unfortunately for Louis, his brain is much slower than usual around Harry and can’t come up with anything besides repeating “What?” back at Harry.

“You’re staring.” The corners of his mouth lift a little, seemingly amused rather than freaked out by Louis’s creepiness.

“Don’t be vain.” Louis scoffs. “I was just listening to your story. Don’t tell a story and expect people not to look at you, Harry.” Harry just grinned back at him.

“Really? What was my story about? Since you were listening so intently.” Harry smirked while Louis racked his brain trying to come up with anything related to what Harry might have been talking about. After about a minute of silence, Harry’s smirk melted away to a smile with dimples on display.

“You’re cute, Lou.” It’s just a couple of stupid words but it makes Louis’s heart flutter.

“Oi, lovebirds. I wanna know what Jimmy Kimmel said!” Harry laughs at Niall’s intrusion. Louis just focuses on trying to regain some composure.

***

They stop for gas somewhere along the way, with Louis running in to pay and Harry stuck in the car under the watchful gaze of (you guessed it) Zayn. When Louis comes out he’s carrying two bags. One is full of snacks, which he throws to Niall quickly before he can rip Louis’s arm out of it’s socket. The second bag he shyly hands to Harry, not looking him in the eyes when he says, “Um, they didn’t really have much to choose from, but I’ll get you better stuff when we get to the hotel. Or you can go yourself since I don’t know much about makeup, and maybe I can come, and you can teach me some stuff. My money is your money, obviously, so that’s not an issue.”

Harry’s heart swells when he opens the bag to find some mascara and colored lip balm. “Oh, Lou. You didn’t have to –“

“No, of course. I want you to have everything you could ever need or want. They didn’t have any nail polish, but we can stop somewhere else once we’re out of state. I don’t know where you got the pink color you have on now, but it looks really pretty on you. We can go wherever you want to go to find it.” Harry blushes at Louis’s compliment and tries not to focus on the way his heart flutters at Louis’s insistence of taking care of Harry.

“Oh, um, well, thanks.” Harry smiles and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. If Louis’s cheek didn’t burn with the contact, he might have missed it; but he didn’t miss it, and he has to repress the urge to touch his hand to the place where Harry’s lips just were.

“Um, yeah, you’re welcome.” He smiles shyly at Harry before guilt washes over him, making his heart sink again. “I just figured because we probably won’t be able to stop back at your place for a while, at least a few months until the cops stop looking. I hope that’s okay? I can buy you anything that’s replaceable and we can go back later for family albums and things of that sort. You don’t have pets, do you? Oh god, I didn’t even think of that. I can make Liam turn the car around if you—” Harry stops him with a hand on his arm and a laugh.

“No, no pets. Just a cat that’s still at my mom’s house. Actually pretty much everything is still at my mom’s house. I just moved out of state like a month ago and I hadn’t been able to bring much of my stuff with me because I couldn’t afford a moving truck. I haven’t really felt at home enough to unpack anything, so leaving my place behind for good isn’t that hard. So don’t worry about it.” Harry is smiling at Louis like what he just said wasn’t fucking heart breaking. Louis wants to buy him a whole moving company, but he settles for reaching for his hand and saying, “Well, Love, we can always take you to visit your mum and your cat. If you name a place, I’ll take you there.” Harry’s answering smile sets Louis’s veins on fire.

***

When Harry said he needed to call the bank and tell them he couldn’t work there anymore, Louis said that wasn’t really necessary. They were already on the run from the law, what was a no-call-no-show going to hurt? Harry reasoned that people would think he’d been kidnapped and search for him. He didn’t want to cause more trouble for the group. Zayn and Liam looked shocked at Harry’s insistence to do what was best for the group, Niall beamed, and Louis wrapped his hand around Harry’s bicep and squeezed. “Good looking out, Love.”

They buy a burner phone at another gas station and Harry uses it to call the bank and quit. He tells them that the whole event scared him too much and he’s moving back to his mom’s. He declines talking to the police or making a statement and says that he’s safe and he just wants to move on from the whole ordeal.  Zayn watches him warily through the whole phone call, ready to pull the trigger if the kid wanted to turn on them. He didn’t know why Harry was still sticking with them, but he definitely didn’t trust him. Louis is glancing back and forth between Harry and Zayn, as if not trusting Zayn to not shoot Harry right then. Maybe I should, Zayn thinks. He notices the way Louis’s eyes soften when they land on Harry. He doesn’t get it. Sure, Louis had picked men up before and had some one-night stands, but he’d never looked at someone so softly, and he’d definitely never said something as crazy as “My money is your money.” Zayn watched all of their interactions with a mix of distaste, confusion, and awe. Of course he wanted his best mate to be happy, and if what Louis was feeling for Harry was even a fraction of what Zayn felt for Liam, then he knew that it was overwhelming, and beautiful, and painful. He wanted to be there for Louis, but he couldn’t open up to someone that easily. There had been times earlier in his life when the people that Zayn had trusted the most were willing to sell him out for the right price. He couldn’t be betrayed again. Liam, Niall, and Louis were his family, and he wasn’t going to let anyone else come between that.

“All done.” Harry beamed at them as he chucked the phone into a nearby trash can.

“Well done, Angel. I’d say all of your hard work deserves a meal. How do you feel about greasy burgers and french fries?” Louis waggled his eyebrows, as Harry chuckled.

“I love ‘em” Harry’s response makes Louis smile in a way that makes his eyes crinkle. Zayn has known Louis since they were both only 13 years old, stealing candy from the local convenience store, but he has never seen Louis this happy. This is a Louis he has only ever been able to experience through old pictures, ones of Louis with his parents and sisters, where his smile is so wide that his eyes crinkle and his nose scrunches up. Even when they’re on an adrenaline high after a robbery, the times that Louis seems happiest, there has always been a dullness to his eyes. Around Harry, Louis’s eyes look sharper; he looks content and happy, like the boy in the pictures, the one he used to be when his family was unbroken, before everything got fucked up and his dad traded their family in for a shiny new twenty-year-old and left Louis’s mum to feed seven kids by herself. Zayn knew that underneath Louis’s smile, there was a lot of hurt, a lot of obligation to be strong and invincible, but Louis was softer around Harry, weaker maybe, but happier.

They slide back into the car, and Louis taps Liam’s shoulder. “Let’s do In-N-Out, Li.” Liam’s answering smile makes Zayn’s heart hurt, too full of love for the perfect boy beside him. Sometimes it hurt for Zayn to be around Liam. Every smile and soft look that Liam directed toward him made his heart hurt, too aware that he was just as hopelessly in fucking love with Liam as he was when they were fourteen, but Liam’s feelings for Zayn were so fucking platonic that it would have been funny, if it didn’t make Zayn want to scream so much.

“We’re gonna get my boy some burgers.” Louis practically whispered, bringing Zayn out of his thoughts. When Zayn glances at Louis in the rearview mirror, he’s staring at Harry like he hung the fucking sun. Zayn knows what that look means, knows that it is scarily similar to the way he looks at Liam. Zayn also knows that no matter what happened next, things weren’t going to be the same.

***

 A few greasy burgers and six hours later, they’re finally checking into a hotel. Harry is exhausted and ready to fall asleep right in the hotel lobby if they don’t get to their rooms soon, but when he glances at Louis, checking them in at the lobby desk and bouncing on the balls of his feet, he sees that Louis has just as much energy as he did when they’d met earlier that day. He’s beginning to realize what an enigma this boy really is. When Louis says something that makes the receptionist laugh and curl a hand around his bicep, Harry feels a lightening bolt of jealousy flash through him that doesn’t go away until Louis is turning back toward him and smiling wide. Harry feels warmth settle into his bones when he notices the way Louis’s eyes light up when he sees him. The receptionist sneers at him, but it only makes him feel better, like maybe people can tell that they have something special between them.

“So, I got us a room with two queen beds. I hope that’s okay?” Louis fidgets with the room keys in his hand, and this is the part that Harry doesn’t understand: this bright, loud, sunshine of a boy who never runs out of energy, seems to get nervous when he’s talking to Harry? Harry loves that he’s somehow the person who makes Louis look at his feet and blush, but he just doesn’t get it. Louis is the type of person that people love to admire. He’s magnetic and attracts attention from every person in any room he walks in to. He makes people laugh and blush and fumble over themselves. Harry has seen it just in his short interactions with the receptionist and the cashier at In-N-Out. On the other hand, Harry is clumsy and awkward. He gets along well enough with people, but he’s still considered sort of weird or “quirky” (which he’s figured out is just a nicer word for weird). He wears chipping nail polish and his lipstick sometimes makes people uncomfortable and his jokes are kind of corny. He isn’t super fun or outgoing. Yet, this wild, beautiful, dandelion of a boy wants to get to know him. Harry doesn’t want it to ever end, just wants to soak up Louis’s attention on him forever, wants to remember how it feels to have him look at Harry like what he’s about to say is important to him.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Harry doesn’t know what to do with his hands, so he settles for stuffing them in his pockets and shrugging. Louis’s answering smile is bright enough to power an entire city through a blackout and the beauty of it makes Harry feel lightheaded.

They say goodbye to Liam and Zayn who are sharing a room like theirs on the second floor, and Niall who wanted to stay in the penthouse (Niall had said “It impresses the ladies” in an obnoxious frat boy impersonation and Louis had rolled his eyes and Harry had laughed but never took his eyes of Louis). Zayn’s eyes follow them to the elevators and Harry lets out a sigh of relief when the doors close.

Harry spends the short elevator ride admiring (which is a less creepy word for staring at) Louis, while Louis fiddles with his phone. Harry traces his eyes across Louis’s sharp cheekbones and strong jaw line, lingers on the stubble on his chin and wonders what it would feel like to feel it on the inside of his thighs. When Louis glances up at him, Harry jerks his gaze away and feels his cheeks grow hot. He’s scared Louis is going to ask him about his obvious staring, but instead he just smirks and says, “This is our floor, Haz.” The nickname makes Harry’s heart beat faster.

***

After they’ve settled in and Harry has washed his face and changed into a pair of Louis’s sweatpants (which definitely do not reach past his calves), he flicks off the light before crawling into the bed adjacent to Louis’s. He was exhausted before but laying in a bed only a few feet from Louis has his whole body thrumming with energy. He thinks about how drastically his life had changed over the past 12 hours or so. He thinks about how unhappy he’d been since moving out on his own, how he felt like his life had no direction, and how he struggled connecting with anyone since he’d moved. When he was a kid, his mom had always told him that things happened for a reason, that no matter what, you were always heading in one direction. He never had any reason to doubt her, but recently, he’d lost a little bit of his hope in whatever the universe had planned for him. But with just a little bit of eye contact and some cheeky banter, Louis had made him feel like maybe there was something bigger than himself looking out for him.

“Do you believe in fate, Lou?” He knew he’d asked before, but he’d never been able to hear Louis’s answer. Just when he was beginning to think that Louis was already asleep, he heard a quiet “No.” muffled against a pillow. It hurt Harry to hear how sad Louis sounded. He knew Louis must have demons he was battling; bank robberies aren’t usually the first career choice among intelligent, attractive young men, after all. He knew there must have been something that made Louis build up his walls and chase adrenaline highs, no matter what the cost may end up being.

“You don’t think there’s something looking out for us? Like maybe we were meant to meet?” Harry angles his body toward Louis’s bed and tries to make out his shape under the covers. Once his eyes adjust to the darkness, he can see Louis shifting to look at him too.

“You would think with how often I get away with things I shouldn’t, I would believe in something bigger than myself, like maybe someone is looking out for me or something. But that’s just it, if fate were real, wouldn’t I have been caught by now? Wouldn’t justice have been served or whatever? It sounds crazy, but I do this because it feels good to finally win something. Like after everything falling apart, after life spitting in my face, I get to stand tall and say, ‘Hit me with your best shot’, you know? It sounds cocky, but I need this to feel alive, like maybe I can win and not let life or fate or whatever beat me. I guess you could say I do believe in fate, but I think she’s a bitch.” Louis laughs and the hurt behind it feel like a punch to Harry’s gut. “But I do feel very lucky to have met you, Harry. Like maybe I found something more important than bragging rights or adrenaline highs.” Harry knows that Louis is just overtired, tries to talk his jackrabbiting heart into calming down by reasoning that Louis probably didn’t mean it and that’s he’s just half-drunk with exhaustion.

“I just haven’t been having the best time recently and meeting you has been like life-changing. Like maybe I met someone who fills my empty spaces and strengthens my weaknesses and maybe makes me be more like the person I want to be, a better version of myself.” Harry lets the heavy words settle into the room like smoke. He knows that this conversation is way too heavy for two people who just met, he pretends that maybe he’s also half-drunk on exhaustion, maybe he doesn’t mean what he says either (he knows that isn’t true but maybe he can convince himself). He hopes that Louis is either asleep or too tired to remember all this tomorrow. He holds his own breath and tries to listen for Louis’s breathing, tries to determine if he’s already asleep. The room is tense and quiet, almost like Louis is holding his breathe too, until he hears Louis exhale loudly.

“I hope you’re right, Angel. Goodnight.” And the tension is gone from the room. Harry’s eyes feel heavy, like his confessions have drained what little energy he had left.

“Goodnight, Lou.”

And if he dreams of a blue-eyed boy who is too afraid to trust fate with his heart, no one else has to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is just a little bit of background setting up for the next chapter. I hope you liked it!! xx


	3. from the moment I met you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> soorrrrry for the late update. I ended up taking summer classes and it's been a bit of a bitch. forgive me pls. xx

Harry wakes up a little disoriented, wondering why he’s not in his bed at home, until it all comes flooding back to him. _Louis._ He glances at the other bed in the room and starts to panic when he sees that it’s empty. He quit his job to run away with a bank robber that he just met yesterday!! Of course Louis is going to get sick of him and leave him stranded somewhere, especially after all of Harry’s crazy mushy talk the night before. He can’t believe he was so impulsive. What would ever make him think that a guy like Louis would ever seriously be into him? Louis was just having fun, seeking a quick thrill. Harry was the stupid one who started to develop feelings so quickly. He really thought that they could’ve—and then he heard it. Either Louis was singing in the shower, or there was an angel serenading the bathroom walls.

Harry couldn’t resist the way he was drawn to the bathroom door to get closer to the sound. He pressed his ear against the wood and listened to the way Louis’s raspy voice hit every note perfectly. Was there anything Louis wasn’t perfect at? Unlikely. He’s smart, attractive, talented, magnetic. For about the thousandth time, Harry wondered what sort of life path led Louis to robbing banks instead of singing on stage for millions of people or being a teacher for the future geniuses and musicians of the world. When the water turned off and Louis’s singing turned to humming, Harry jumped back from the door and ran to his bed. Mushy fate talk late at night was one thing, but standing with his ear pressed to the bathroom door while Louis was naked on the other side was a whole new level of creepy that Harry was not ready to admit to.

***

When Louis walked out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist, his eyes landed on Harry sitting cross-legged on the bed with his phone out. Looking at him brought back memories of the night before. Remembering their conversation made Louis’s stomach swoop and his hands shake a little. There was something about Harry that made Louis want to be vulnerable. Maybe it was his soft, honest eyes or the way he looked at Louis like he cared about him, but Harry made vulnerability seem like a strength instead of a weakness.

Louis smirked when he noticed Harry’s gaze on his bare chest. “See something you like, Hazza?” Instead of the blushing that Louis expected, Harry continued to stare at what Louis now realized was his right forearm.

“You have a compass tattoo?” Louis had the sudden urge to shield his tattoo from Harry’s burning stare.

“Yeah, it keeps me from getting lost in the lifestyle. Reminds me that there’s a way home after all of this.” He meant for it to sound strong or poetic, but his voice was too soft and the words sounded gentle leaving his mouth, like he was a child talking about his fear of the dark. He couldn’t bear the silence afterward. Harry’s stare made him feel like someone had cut into him and revealed something too personal and painful, so he kept talking. “I also just think nautical tattoos are cool. I have this rope on my wrist too.” Harry’s eyes traveled to his wrist and then back to Louis’s eyes before he was tripping out of his bed and ripping his shirt off. Louis began to trail his eyes over Harry’s bare torso, but he barely had time to admire Harry’s beauty before his eyes landed on Harry’s left bicep. Inked in beautiful contrast with his smooth, pale skin, there was a detailed tattoo of a ship.

***

Harry couldn’t tear his eyes away from the beautiful compass tattoo on Louis’s arm. Harry had gotten his ship tattoo just recently, after moving out of his mom’s. He’d walked into a tattoo shop and was instantly drawn to the drawing of the ship in one of the artist’s sketch books. He had wanted to get something that would remind him of home after he moved. _Home._ The word permanently etched on Louis’s arm stared back at him while Louis’s words echoed in his head. Words filled with bravery and strength, but also fear. Harry knew that fear, had laid in bed night after night and felt that fear crash over him in overwhelming waves, threatening to drown him in anxiety. When he looked up from Louis’s arm, he saw a small bit of his own confusion and awe reflected back at him in Louis’s eyes. Louis reached his hand out towards Harry’s bicep and for a second Harry thought that he was going to trace a finger down the ship’s sails, but instead he just raised a delicate wrist to flick his hair out of his eyes. Harry wanted to tell him that he could touch the tattoo, that he could trace the intricate shadows with his fingers or his tongue. Harry wanted Louis to set his skin on fire with his touch until there was nothing left of Harry but a burning pile of ash still whispering Louis’s name.

When Harry twisted his arm so that Louis could see his anchor tattoo, Louis breathed in sharply. The anchor was placed in a spot that would perfectly line up to Louis’s rope tattoo if they were ever to hold hands, and Harry had never wanted something more in his entire life. This time Louis did reach a tentative hand out to trace the anchor on Harry’s wrist. His touch made Harry’s skin burn in the best way possible and for about the millionth time, Harry wondered why Louis had such an effect on him, when they’d only met yesterday. Why did Harry run away with a bank robber with no care for what happened next? Why did he trust a criminal so much? What made him feel like he could do anything with Louis by his side? Why did Harry feel like he’d been sleeping his whole life, and had only really woken up when he’d looked into Louis’s eyes for the first time?

Harry had always believed in fate and soulmates and the magnetic pull that people who were in love said they felt. His mom used to call it the little red ribbon of fate. She said that every soul was connected to one other soul by an invisible red ribbon. You didn’t get to choose who your ribbon was attached to, but when you found them, you would share an unconditional love for each other. Harry knew that relationships were hard work, but he also believed that none of his past relationships worked out because he hadn’t found the only one who was worth working hard for. Was his little red ribbon attached to Louis? There was no way that his soulmate just so happened to also be the most attractive, charming, hilarious, and interesting guy he’d ever met. Not even fate owed him that much. Anyways, Louis didn’t believe in fate (or he hated her) and he probably didn’t believe in soulmates either. What was Harry supposed to say? “Hey, we accidently got a couple of matching tattoos before we knew each other so I think we’re attached by an invisible red ribbon and destined to spend the rest of our lives together. I love you”? Yeah, he’s sure Louis would love that. He glanced up to see Louis’s eyes still focused on his wrist.

“Weird.” He heard Louis mutter under his breath, like he was studying some crazy scientific experiment. Harry thought of it as more like a miracle. _Beautiful_ , he wanted to say to Louis, _like two puzzle pieces made to fit together_. Wow, sign him up for the looney bin. His mom really had gotten into his head with all of that soulmate stuff.

“Well,” Louis stepped away from Harry and seemed to snap out of whatever moment they were having, “if you wanna shower, I would do it now. We’re supposed to be meeting the boys for breakfast downstairs in 10.”

Harry just nodded dumbly and grabbed a towel, avoiding Louis’s eyes and walking by him to head to the bathroom, avoiding even brushing against him to keep Harry’s skin from spontaneously setting on fire. Okay, maybe he was being a little overdramatic, but who could blame him? He maybe possibly could’ve just found his little red ribbon of fate.

***

“You left him alone?! He’s probably phoning the police right now!!” Louis rolled his eyes at Zayn while Liam and Niall just watched on quietly, dreading a blowup fight this early in the morning. Louis had come down to breakfast while Harry was in the shower, wanting to confide to the boys about the weird tattoo moment that he and Harry had shared earlier, but instead, he was instantly interrogated when Zayn saw that he didn’t have Harry with him. It was like he was expected to keep Harry chained up or on a collar and leash or something (Now Louis had to worry about keeping the image of Harry in a collar out of his head).

“He’s in the shower, Z! Besides, He’s not a prisoner. If he wanted to go to the police, I wouldn’t stop him.” Zayn looked murderous. Louis could practically see the steam coming out of his ears, but he refused to break eye contact.

“Look,” Niall and Liam looked up at Zayn’s venomous voice, looking like they were anticipating for World War 2, “you may be okay with going to prison for life, but we are not.” Zayn gestured at himself and then Niall and Liam, who promptly looked back down at their plates. Louis just kept his eyes on Zayn. He knew that Zayn had trust issues, and he knew why. He understood, he just wished that Zayn would trust him a little bit and be a little bit more understanding.

“You’re right. I would never want to put you and the boys in a position like that.” Zayn looked confused, like he knew that Louis wasn’t done talking but really hoped that he would be. “So if you and the boys want to separate and get away from Harry, we can say our goodbyes right here.”

“Us say goodbye to you?” Niall couldn’t help but interject. He was stunned. He actually liked Harry, but even if he didn’t, he couldn’t imagine ever separating from Louis or any of the boys. They were family. Louis just turned to him and nodded.

“That’s not what I want, but if you guys are really that concerned about Harry turning you in, I would understand if you wanted me and him to go off on our own.” Zayn banged his fist on the table hard enough to jostle their plates and stood up from his chair.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?” Louis tried not to flinch at Zayn’s harsh tone and the way he inched a little closer to Louis when he screamed.

“Zayn!” Liam admonished. “We’re in public and you’re making a scene!” Zayn softened at Liam’s voice and turned to him with an apologetic look on his face.

“But Li, he’s acting crazy.” Zayn’s body stayed turned towards Liam, but his eyes found Louis’s. “I thought we were family.” His voice sounded insecure and a little whiny, and suddenly, Louis was looking at a 23 year old Zayn, but he was seeing the 13 year old Zayn from down the street, the one who snuck into gay clubs with him when they were young and just figuring out their sexualities, the same one who always had his back when shit hit the fan. Whenever Louis got on the wrong person’s bad side, Zayn was right there next to him, ready to go to war for him. He was the first person to ever make Louis feel like he should be proud of who he was.

“We are family, Z. We always will be. I just need you to trust me. There’s something there with Harry, and I need to know what. I’ve never felt like this before. It feels like he’s got something special, something that just resonates with me, ya know?” Louis blushes at how transparent he’s being with his feelings, but Zayn just makes eye contact with Liam for a split second before he’s nodding.

“Yeah, okay. I get it, Lou.” And then they’re hugging, and Niall and Liam are plastered against their backs and suffocating them in a tight group hug.

“Oi, fuckers. Can we eat now?” Niall pulled away and sat down, studying the menu like he was going to be graded on it. Louis laughed and took his seat across from Zayn, who shot him a big smile. They were going to be okay.

***

It was over half an hour after Louis left that Harry was finally ready to leave the hotel room to meet the other boys for breakfast downstairs. After his shower, he’d practically had a panic attack about what to wear. It needed to be long sleeved. He didn’t know if Louis was going to tell the other boys about the whole accidental matching tattoos thing or if it was even that big of a deal to him. Maybe Louis just thought it was a weird coincidence, or even worse, what if he thought Harry was a psychopath? No, he couldn’t. Louis coming into the bank when Harry was working was completely out of his hands, and Louis had been the one to put moves on Harry, not the other way around. God, he wished he knew what Louis was thinking, and what he was going to tell the boys, if anything.

He’d settled on a long-sleeved t-shirt from the hotel’s gift shop. He was probably going to get hot, and he sort of looked like part of the hotel staff, but it was better than having an awkward talk about why his tattoos looked like an extension of Louis’s art pieces. Harry didn’t want Zayn, of all people, to have another reason to distrust him, and he definitely didn’t want to give him another reason to want to shoot him. He applied a few coats of mascara and the colored lip balm that Louis had gotten him before racing to the elevator, already feeling guilty for taking so long.

When Louis had told him that they were eating breakfast at the hotel’s in-house restaurant, Harry was expecting something more like a cafeteria. Instead, he found himself walking into what looked like a five-star restaurant, not that Harry had ever been in one to be able to know what it would look like, but it was like something from a movie. Waiters wore dressy black-tie uniforms, and waitresses wore fancy cocktail dresses, while rich people ate from plates piled high with breakfast foods. Harry didn’t know how much the hotel had cost Louis; he only knew that the room was beautiful, with the softest sheets Harry had ever slept on and a shower big enough to house a small family.

A sudden wave of insecurity washed over Harry, causing his lungs to constrict. What was he doing? He didn’t fit in with Louis and his friends. He wasn’t wealthy enough, or dangerous enough to hang out and be found interesting by them. He would take one look at this place’s menu and want to throw up at how expensive everything was. He was ready to turn around and leave, try to forget about Louis and never think about red ribbons or fate ever again,  but then Niall was looking up from their table near the back and waving at him.

Louis looked up from where he was laughing at something that Zayn was showing him on his phone, and smiled in a way that made his nose scrunch up and his eyes crinkle at the sides. Harry felt like he’d swallowed part of the sun, like his insides were melting into rays of sunshine and he was shining from the inside out at the way Louis was looking at him. When Harry got to the table, he instantly gravitated toward Louis, but decided to take the other seat next to Niall. He figured Niall made a good buffer, and it was easier to think without Louis sitting right next to him. Was he imagining the disappointment in Louis’s eyes when they lingered on him for a second to long?

“Good morning!” Harry smiled at the four of them and was surprised to see all of them smiling back, including Zayn. It was a polite smile, one that you would give a coworker or a classmate that you didn’t know too well, but it was better than a glare. Harry couldn’t help but smile bigger at Zayn, who’s features relaxed into a more natural smirk, just the edges of his lips quirking up.

“Why are you wearing sleeves? It’s hot as balls outside.” Niall didn’t bother swallowing the food in his mouth before turning to Harry and asking, shooting him a questioning look.

“Oh, um,” he glanced at Louis who was staring at his arm, right where the tattooed ship sat under the shirtsleeves like he was trying to acquire see right through the shirt. Harry rubbed his hand self-consciously down his arm, effectively breaking Louis’s intense gaze. Instead, Louis stared at Harry’s face, like he was waiting for Harry to give him some sort of sign, pass some sort of test.  “I guess I just get cold easily.” Harry shrugged, feeling like he failed whatever secret test Louis had given him the moment he saw Louis’s face fall.

***

Fuck! Harry wanted to keep the tattoos a secret. Louis should have guessed that. Of course he wouldn’t want the boys knowing that Louis’s own tattoos lined up perfectly with Harry’s. Good thing Louis hadn’t had the chance to tell them about it. Oh god, Harry probably that he was some type of stalker-creep who planned it all like this. Louis’s whole body started to heat up with embarrassment and he could feel Harry staring at him but he refused to look up from the table to meet his eyes.

“Right, so ehm,” That was Liam’s voice and Louis could look at Liam without dying of embarrassment, so he did. He stared at Liam and refused to let his eyes dart to Harry, no matter how much they wanted to. _Drawn together like magnets_ , is how his mom had explained love once when he was younger. No, focus on Liam. “ We were just talking about when our next heist is going to be. Zayn and I were thinking the day after tomorrow, once we drive through a few more states?”

“What? Why another one so soon? We already did one this week!” Every head at the table turned to stare at Louis, after his outburst. “I mean we don’t want to push it.”

“We’ll be states away, Louis. I haven’t been so lucky with my bets lately and I really need the money to pay some people off.” Liam looked at Louis as he spoke, like he couldn’t believe he was having to convince Louis to go for a heist. “Besides, you’re usually already restless for another robbery. What’s going on?”

“Um, nothing.” Louis glanced at Harry, hoping that he wouldn’t pick up on the fact that Louis wasn’t as restless for another robbery as he usually would be because he wanted a chance to spend some more time with Harry. “I just thought we might let Harry have a little more time to settle in before we go dragging him in to illegal activity with us.”

“I’m ready!” Harry perked up from across the table, looking ready to prove himself. Louis felt the sudden urge to protect him from everything terrible in the world, to shower him with gifts and kisses and affection, to give him an easy life. He definitely didn’t want Harry running into a bank to commit a felony, where anything could happen and he could possibly be put in harm’s way.

“He’ll just be waiting in the car with me for the first time anyways, Lou.” Liam’s puppy dog eyes were rivaled only by the pouty look that Harry was sending his way.

“Yeah, I’ll be good, Lou. Please let me come.” Louis tried not to shiver at Harry’s words. Did he have any idea the effect he had on Louis, or was he really as innocent as he looked?

“Fine,” Louis sighed, “but the ultimate goal is to keep Harry safe. If something happens to him, I will kill someone. Understand?” Louis couldn’t even find the shame to blush at his words, as everyone around him nodded. Harry was blushing enough for the both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't abandon this fic, I promise!! so next chapter is harry's first bank robbery and probably some background on the boys. please don't hate me. I love you all and so do harry and louis!! xx


	4. everything changed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys! I know it's been forever and I'm sorry! I'm gonna try to be better. hope you like the chapter! xx

Adrenaline buzzed through Louis’s entire body, making him feel shaky in the best way possible. He had a nervous type of energy sitting right under his skin, the same type you feel before you get onto a rollercoaster. It was the feeling right before the drop, when you’re convinced you might die but then you step off of the ride, alive at the end. That was what made it all worth it, to feel like you cheated fate at her own game. This situation was a little different of course, because Louis wasn’t at an amusement park with his family; he was spinning a gun around his finger and listening to a walkthrough of the bank they were going to rob, but it was the same general concept.

Unlike all of the times before this, Louis welcomed the familiar droning of Liam’s voice explaining cameras and audio equipment. This was something that Louis understood, something he was good at. For the last 24 hours, he’d been squished in the backseat of a car, sharing the same air as Harry while Liam drove through state after state.

Everything about the last 24 hours had been the very opposite of familiar. Liam still hummed to the radio, and Zayn still stared at Liam like a sap in love, and Niall still stunk up the car with constant gas, but there was also Harry. Louis wasn’t used to Harry. He wasn’t used to warm laughter or slowly told stories or curls that smelled like lavender resting on his shoulder in the late hours of the night. He didn’t know where he stood with Harry. One second Harry was looking at Louis’s tattoos like they were some sort of miracle, and the next second, he was slumping downstairs in a long-sleeved hotel shirt and sitting next to Niall, avoiding Louis’s eyes.

Even now, Louis glances up at Harry to find him already staring back at him with what Louis has been fondly referring to as the “creepy frog stare” in his head. He’s not stupid, he knows that there is tension building between him and Harry, he’s just not sure what kind of tension it is. He knows there’s an attraction between them, but he can’t decide if Harry is checking him out or trying to decide when he should call the cops and turn him in. Either way, Harry’s eyes on him make his whole body feel warm and his cheeks get pink.

Louis doesn’t realize that he’s staring back at Harry (probably looking just as creepy) until Liam coughs awkwardly.

“And Harry, you’ll be in the car with me.” Harry opens his mouth like he’s going to argue but stays quiet when he sees the look that Louis shoots at him. When they first started discussing the plan and the role that Harry would play, he had tried to argue against it. He wanted to be involved, he wanted to learn and prove to the others that he was in it for real, but Louis quickly shut that down. He wouldn’t let Harry get hurt, and he worried for the safety of anyone who even looked at Harry the wrong way because he didn’t know what he might do. He felt oddly protective and possessive of Harry already, and he needed some time to sort his feelings out before he could handle going into a dangerous situation with his emotions running high.

“Sounds good to me.” Harry nodded, and Louis gave him a small, apologetic smile. He was rewarded with a small smile from Harry, not the biggest he’d seen, but big enough to let one dimple show. Louis’s hands itched to reach out, but he resisted the urge to poke Harry’s dimple.

“Okay,” Niall clapped, and everyone looked at him, “let’s get on with it then. I’ve got bets to pay off.”

 

***

 

Louis walked in and took a quick mental inventory of who else was in the bank with them. There was only a young couple, two older men, and a handful of bank employees (Louis had figured out that banks aren’t ever really what you could consider “busy”).

He nodded at Niall who began to round everyone up, making sure that they didn’t have any weapons on them and then sitting them down along the wall. Him and Zayn approached the only teller who was behind the desk. She had her hands under the desk, desperately searching for that pesky little red button that would alert the authorities, so they could come save the day. Louis knew that the point of the banks installing the little red button on the underside of the desk was so the teller could alert the authorities without being obvious, but when someone’s arms are wildly waving around under a desk, it wasn’t hard to figure out what they were doing. Louis chuckled at the thought and the girl’s eyes widened.

“Let me guess, you’re looking for the little button under there that’s gonna tell the cops that we’re here so they’ll show up, cuff us, and you’ll get a nice little raise from your boss for saving the day.” Louis could feel the sarcasm dripping off his tongue, but he couldn’t help it. This girl was annoying him already and he was eager to be done with this so he could make sure Harry was okay in the car. And Liam too, of course. Right, Liam. Louis rolled his eyes at his own desperation to be around Harry, before giving the girl behind the register another blank stare.

“Look, don’t try to be a hero, and I won’t have to play the villain. Just show us your safe, and we’ll be on our way” Louis raised his gun a little higher to remind the girl to hurry up, and soon enough she was leading him and Zayn into a large room with cash lining the walls. Once Niall had taken the bank teller to sit along the wall with the other hostages and it was only Louis and Zayn in the room, Zayn gave Louis a questioning look.

“What?” Louis snapped, not looking at Zayn while he began filling his bag with stacks of money.

“You were kind of harsh out there, don’t ya think, Lou? You’re usually the sweet talker, now suddenly you’re waving your gun in her face and talking like some kind of movie supervillain?”

“I just wanted her to hurry up. I don’t want to be here for too long.” Louis glanced at Zayn who looked at him for a second longer before finally starting to load his bag with money.

“Oh, yeah?”, Zayn teased, “Why are you in such a rush? Don’t like the idea of a certain someone waiting in the car without you?” Zayn laughed, and Louis was thankful for his mask hiding the blush that was probably sitting on his cheeks.

“Well, you know how Payno is, Z. Gets upset if he’s away from me for too long. Separation anxiety and all that.” Louis joked lightly and hoped Zayn didn’t hear the real worry for Harry behind his joking words. Zayn’s only reply was a chuckle and a half-mumbled “sure”. Louis ignored his knowing look and continued his work quickly, wondering how Harry was doing. His brain conjured up images of Harry scared out of his mind, crying in the backseat of the car, worried about what might happen if something were to go wrong.

 

***

 

Harry wipes the tears from his eyes and tries to breathe again. He’s clutching onto Liam’s shoulder and trying to stop crying so he can get some breath into his lungs before he starts to hyperventilate.

“So then, Louis starts running all over the store, butt-ass naked, while me and Zayn are trying to grab as much fried chicken as we can. And-“ Liam has to take a deep breath to avoid laughing even harder and ruining the story. Harry hasn’t been able to stop laughing for the last ten minutes and his stomach is beginning to hurt, but each part of Liam’s story gets funnier and Harry can’t control his laughter. He’s crying and struggling to breathe, but he’s still listening to every word that comes out of Liam’s mouth, eager to hear how the story ends.

“And the owner of the shop is so busy chasing Louis around and trying to avoid the milk all over the floor, that he doesn’t even realize what me and Zayn are doing until we’re halfway down the street with Louis right behind us.” Now that he’s finished his story, Liam absolutely loses it, practically screaming with laughter. Harry actually thinks he’s going to piss himself from laughing so hard, but he still can’t stop as the image of a 14-year-old Louis causing mayhem in a store crosses his mind.

After what must have been at least five minutes, the boys’ laughter finally subsides and they’re both left with fond smiles on their faces. Harry glances at Liam and wonders if he notices how Zayn looks at him. Harry is new to the group, but even he’s noticed, so he figures Liam must know. He considers asking about it but decides against it. He doesn’t want to make things awkward or get involved where it’s not really his place.

“So,” Harry smirks at Liam, who smiles back, cheeks still flushed from laughing so hard, “why did you guys need the chicken so bad anyways? Or did you just want to torment the poor shop owner?” Harry giggles, but his smile drops as soon as he sees the look that passes over Liam’s face.

“No, uh, actually, Louis asked us to help him get something for his sisters to eat for dinner.” Liam made eye contact briefly with Harry, and Harry could tell that Liam felt like he was betraying Louis by telling him this.

“Oh. We don’t have to talk about something that personal. Sorry for asking.” The air inside the car suddenly felt serious and Harry felt like he was going to suffocate in the sadness that surrounded them with just the brief mention of Louis’s childhood.

“Oh, uhm, it’s fine. It’s just that Louis didn’t grow up with very much. His dad left when he was young, and he sort of had to become the provider for his mom and sisters. But when you’re 14, there aren’t many options for how to feed that many mouths, so he just did what he could.” Liam looks at Harry for the first time since he started talking, but Harry’s throat is starting to form a knot and he doesn’t want to say anything because he’ll probably start crying, so he just nods.

“It’s really something that Louis should talk to you about whenever he’s ready. Not really my place, ya know. But you should know that there’s a reason why he acts the way he does, and there’s a reason why he chose this type of lifestyle. He’s come a long way since we were 14, but he still needs someone to show him that there’s life after this, that he can stop doing this and find other ways to feel alive.” Liam is staring at Harry now, waiting for him to respond, but all Harry can do is nod again. He doesn’t want to talk about the intense feelings he’s already having for Louis, or the look of hope that Liam is giving him, like he thinks that Harry could be the person to make Louis feel alive. He wants so badly to be able to be that for Louis. He doesn’t know how to voice that though, without sounding crazy, so instead, he starts to change the subject. He opens his mouth to ask why Liam chose this type of lifestyle, when he obviously doesn’t have the same fondness for it that Louis or Niall seem to have, but before Harry can get the question out, the car doors open and Zayn is jumping in the passenger side, while Louis and Niall are sliding into the backseat next to him. Liam presses the gas and before Harry can catch up with what’s happening, they’re flying down backroads, away from the bank and toward the state’s lines.

“Hey, Curly.” Louis smushes up next to Harry, lining up so that their entire bodies are touching from their shoulders to their knees. Harry glances at Niall and sees that he’s got more than enough room to allow for Louis to sit more in the middle. It makes Harry feel like he’s floating when he realizes that Louis is sitting so close to him just because he wants to. “Sorry for leaving you with Liam for so long. I hope he didn’t bore you to absolute tears.” Louis shoots Liam a quick wink in the rearview mirror to let him know that he’s only kidding, but then he’s back to looking at Harry.

Louis is panting a bit from the run to the car but he’s smiling. His eyes are a clear blue and the sunshine pouring in through the car window is bouncing off his tan skin and making Harry’s mouth water. He looks like the human version of a summer day, and Harry can’t help but imagine a 14-year-old Louis, just as golden and beautiful, but held down with more responsibility than any 14-year-old should ever have, trying to figure out a way to help feed his mom and sisters. Harry can see his sharp little canine teeth poking into his bottom lip when he bites down on it, and Harry wants so badly to reach out and pull Louis’s lip from between his teeth. He wants to push Louis’s fringe back and run his thumb along his cheekbone. He wants to lean in and kiss him, to see what he tastes like. So, he does.

He thinks “Fuck it” and without answering Louis, he leans into him and presses their lips together. It takes a second before Louis responds, but when he does, Harry feels like every question he’s ever asked has been answered. He feels like his entire life has led to this moment, kissing this beautiful mystery of a boy in the backseat of a getaway car.

When Harry eventually pulls away, the car is quiet. Liam is casting glances into the rearview mirror every half a second, Zayn and Niall aren’t even trying to hide their staring, and Louis is looking at him like he’s just been electrically shocked. Harry understands because he feels the exact same way.

He considers telling Louis how he feels, like maybe their soulmates. He considers saying that he thinks they’re attached by a little red ribbon and that there is no way their multiple matching tattoos is a coincidence. He wants to mention fate and how she can’t be as bad as Louis thinks that she is because she led them to each other. Harry wants to tell Louis that he reminds him of the sun, so warm and bright and beautiful, with so many people drawn to him and depending on him. He wants to say that he doesn’t want to just take from Louis, he wants to give too. He wants to be there when Louis needs him. He wants to tell Louis that even though he just met him, he feels like he could love him one day. He feels like maybe he could show Louis how to feel alive without having to rob banks or run from the cops.

But Harry doesn’t really think it’s the right time to be saying all of that, and he doesn’t want to overwhelm Louis too much. Besides, if he’s right about all of this, then they have plenty of time. So instead he just looks at the shocked expression of each boy and laughs. His eyes land on Louis and he smiles a smile that’s big enough to show both dimples, might even be big enough to split his whole face if he isn’t careful.

“Nah, it was fun.” Harry answers Louis’s earlier statement. “In fact, I heard a story about some spilt milk and your 14-year-old nudity?” Harry teases. Louis stares at him blankly before a smile slides onto his face.

“Lima Bean! You’re ruining my spotless reputation by telling young Harold about our illegal adventures?!?” Louis screeches, but he’s smiling fondly at Liam, and Zayn and Niall are laughing. Liam winks at Harry and laughs, and Zayn glances back at Harry and smiles at him, a real smile that lights up his entire face. Harry looks at Louis to find him already staring back at him. He reaches for Harry’s hand and holds it in his smaller one, playing with his rings and teasing him with a soft voice. “We’re gonna have to rob a jewelry store to keep up with your ring addiction, Styles.” And smushed up against the door of a car smelling like Niall’s constant gas, with Louis’s hand in his, Harry feels at home for the first time in a very long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh, they finally kissed! so this chapter wasn't that long or anything but I wanted to get it up because they kissed and Harry has started to get more confident around Louis.
> 
> I also wanted to thank you for your patience! I know that it's taken me forever to get this up. I've just never published anything I've written, so I've been having some anxiety about letting people down or the later chapters not being as good as the first one. I don't know, just my brain saying stupid stuff. anyways, thanks so much for the comments and kudos and all of the support! I hope you liked it! I love you xx

**Author's Note:**

> so I hope you liked it!! I'm going to try to consistently upload now that the semester is over. I appreciate kudos or comments! let me know if you liked it! be nice or you'll make harry sad! xx


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